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Antony-overn, exclam

Also pronc-sppAntney-over,Antny-over,atni-over and simplexes Antony,Antny[Prob of Scots origin though earliest quot is US: cf EDD, SND]chiefly sAppalachiansSee MapNote: Antony-over is a now uncommon form for the game most commonly called anti-over n. The shouts accompanying this game are generally the same as its name, and they share the same regional distributions. For common forms and varr of both the game and the shouts, see Andy-over,Annie-over,anti-i-over,anti-over n; for less freqvarr see also Andrew-over,ankety-over, and DS EE22, 23a.

A As noun.

A children’s game in which a ball is thrown over a building to a player or players on the other side. The name of the game is usually shouted as the ball is thrown.

1872Schele de VereAmericanisms 579, Antony Over, a game of ball played by two parties of boys, on opposite sides of a schoolhouse, over which the ball is thrown. Used in Pennsylvania. Antony is merely a proper name, . . and Over requires no explanation.

, We always called that Antny-over. We’d get on one side with something, usually a yarn ball . . with a little somethin’ in the middle [that] would make it bounce and we’d throw it over and when we’d get ready to throw, we’d holler “Antny,” the one that had the ball. The other one on the other side’d say “over,” and they’d throw the ball over. . . If we caught the ball when it came over, then we had a right to run around to the other side. . . If we got over to the other side and could touch them, they had to come to our side then.

B As exclamation.

1 In the game of : the phrase called out when the ball is thrown over the building.

1946PADS 6.4 VA, NC,Antney over . . The full expression: “Antney, antney, and over she goes.” . . Common among teen-age children.

1952BrownNC Folkl. 1.36 NC (as of 1917), A member of the group having the ball calls, “Ant’ny!” someone on the other side then cries, “Over!” The first speaker calls out, “Over she comes!” and throws the ball over the roof.